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[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 24 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 24

  Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah 
                             National Park.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 23, 2011

     Mr. Webb (for himself and Mr. Warner) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy 
                         and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

 
  Commemorating the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah 
                             National Park.

Whereas the 75th anniversary of the dedication of Shenandoah National Park 
        corresponds with the Civil War sesquicentennial, enriching the heritage 
        of both the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States;
Whereas in the early to mid-1920s, as a result of the efforts of the citizen-
        driven Shenandoah Valley, Inc. and the Shenandoah National Park 
        Association, the congressionally appointed Southern Appalachian National 
        Park Committee recommended that Congress authorize the establishment of 
        a national park in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for the purpose 
        of providing the western national park experience to the populated 
        eastern seaboard;
Whereas, in 1935, the Secretary of the Interior, Harold Ickes, accepted the land 
        deeds for what would become Shenandoah National Park from the 
        Commonwealth of Virginia, and, on July 3, 1936, President Franklin D. 
        Roosevelt dedicated Shenandoah National Park ``to this and to succeeding 
        generations for the recreation and re-creation they would find'';
Whereas the Appalachian Mountains extend through 200,000 acres of Shenandoah 
        National Park and border the 8 Virginia counties of Albemarle, Augusta, 
        Greene, Madison, Page, Rappahannock, Rockingham, and Warren;
Whereas Shenandoah National Park is home to a diverse ecosystem of 103 rare and 
        endangered species, 1,405 plant species, 51 mammal species, 36 fish 
        species, 26 reptile species, 23 amphibian species, and more than 200 
        bird species;
Whereas the proximity of Shenandoah National Park to heavily populated areas, 
        including Washington, District of Columbia, promotes regional travel and 
        tourism, providing thousands of jobs and contributing millions of 
        dollars to the economic vitality of the region;
Whereas Shenandoah National Park, rich with recreational opportunities, offers 
        520 miles of hiking trails, 200 miles of which are designated horse 
        trails and 101 miles of which are part of the 2,175-mile Appalachian 
        National Historic Trail, more than 90 fishable streams, 4 campgrounds, 7 
        picnic areas, 3 lodges, 6 backcountry cabins, and an extensive, rugged 
        backcountry open to wilderness camping to the millions of people who 
        annually visit the Park;
Whereas the Park protects significant cultural resources, including--

    (1) Rapidan Camp, once a summer retreat for President Herbert Hoover 
and now a national historic landmark;

    (2) Skyline Drive, a historic district listed on the National Register 
of Historic Places;

    (3) Massanutten Lodge, a structure listed on the National Register of 
Historic Places;

    (4) 360 buildings and structures included on the List of Classified 
Structures;

    (5) 577 significant, recorded archeological sites, 11 of which are 
listed on the National Register of Historic Places; and

    (6) more than 100 historic cemeteries;

Whereas Congress named 10 battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley for preservation 
        in the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District and 
        Commission Act of 1996 (section 606 of Public Law 104-333; 110 Stat. 
        4174), and Shenandoah National Park, an integral partner in that 
        endeavor, provides visitors with outstanding views of pristine, natural 
        landscapes that are vital to the Civil War legacy;
Whereas Shenandoah National Park also protects intangible resources, including 
        aspects of the heritage of the people of the United States through the 
        rigorous commitments of the Civilian Conservation Corps and the 
        advancement of Civil Rights as Shenandoah's ``separate but equal'' 
        facilities became the first to desegregate in Virginia;
Whereas, on October 20, 1976, Public Law 94-567 was enacted, designating 79,579 
        acres within Shenandoah National Park's boundaries as wilderness under 
        the Wilderness Act (16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.), which protects the 
        wilderness character of the lands ``for the permanent good of the whole 
        people''; and
Whereas Congress should support efforts to preserve the ecological and cultural 
        integrity of Shenandoah National Park, maintain the infrastructure of 
        the Park, and protect the famously scenic views of the Shenandoah 
        Valley: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the 75th anniversary of the dedication of 
        Shenandoah National Park; and
            (2) acknowledges the historic and enduring scenic, 
        recreational, and economic value of the Park.
                                 <all>
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